Extensible Modeling and simulation Framework (Xmsf) Challenges for Web-Based Modeling and Simulation FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 2002 1 Introduction: Purpose, Scope, Shortcomings and status 1.1 Purpose As the Department of Defense(DoD)is engaged in both warfighting and institutional transformation for the new millennium, DoD Modeling Simulation(M&S) similarly needs to identify and adopt transformational technologies which provide direct tactical relevance to warfighters. Today the only software systems that can composably scale to worldwide scope utilize World Wide Web technologies. It is evident that an extensible web-based framework shows great promise to scale up the capabilities of M&s systems to meet the needs of training, analysis, system acquisition and tactical preview needed by operational warfighters Defense M&s includes a large and diverse set of applications which individually provide advanced computing capabilities. Embracing commercial web technologies as a shared-communications platform and a ubiquitous-delivery framework will enable current M&s to fully leverage mainstream industry practices for large-scale software development. Similarly, providing web interoperability to general M&s applications can provide broad new classes of capability for commercial, educational and scientific applications 1. 2 Scope Web-based technologies have the capability to support interoperability of the spectrum of doD models and simulations including constructive, virtual, and live systems. Web-based technologies can integrate legacy simulation frameworks, tactical systems and the increasingly important distance-learning technologies. This report describes the basis and initial requirements for such transformational interoperability, through development of the Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework(XMSF The precepts of XMSF are Web-based technologies applied within an extensible framework will enable a new generation of modeling simulation(M&s) applications to emerge, develop and interoperate Support for operational tactical systems is a missing but essential requirement for defense M&s pplication frameworks An extensible framework of XML-based languages can provide a bridge between diverse M&s requirements and open/commercial web standards, while continuing to support existing M&s technologies Compatible and complementary technical approaches are now possible for model definition, simulation execution, network-based education and training, network scalability, and distributed animation of 2D/3D graphics presentations Web-based approaches for technology, software tools, content production and broad usage ovide best business cases from an enterprise-wide(i.e. worldwide) perspective XMSF Workshop Symposium Report, October 2002
XMSF Workshop & Symposium Report, October 2002 page 7 Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework (XMSF) Challenges for Web-Based Modeling and Simulation FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 2002 1 Introduction: Purpose, Scope, Shortcomings and Status 1.1 Purpose As the Department of Defense (DoD) is engaged in both warfighting and institutional transformation for the new millennium, DoD Modeling & Simulation (M&S) similarly needs to identify and adopt transformational technologies which provide direct tactical relevance to warfighters. Today the only software systems that can composably scale to worldwide scope utilize World Wide Web technologies. It is evident that an extensible web-based framework shows great promise to scale up the capabilities of M&S systems to meet the needs of training, analysis, system acquisition and tactical preview needed by operational warfighters. Defense M&S includes a large and diverse set of applications which individually provide advanced computing capabilities. Embracing commercial web technologies as a shared-communications platform and a ubiquitous-delivery framework will enable current M&S to fully leverage mainstream industry practices for large-scale software development. Similarly, providing web interoperability to general M&S applications can provide broad new classes of capability for commercial, educational and scientific applications. 1.2 Scope Web-based technologies have the capability to support interoperability of the spectrum of DoD models and simulations including constructive, virtual, and live systems. Web-based technologies can integrate legacy simulation frameworks, tactical systems and the increasingly important distance-learning technologies. This report describes the basis and initial requirements for such transformational interoperability, through development of the Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework (XMSF). The precepts of XMSF are: · Web-based technologies applied within an extensible framework will enable a new generation of modeling & simulation (M&S) applications to emerge, develop and interoperate. · Support for operational tactical systems is a missing but essential requirement for defense M&S application frameworks. · An extensible framework of XML-based languages can provide a bridge between diverse M&S requirements and open/commercial web standards, while continuing to support existing M&S technologies. · Compatible and complementary technical approaches are now possible for model definition, simulation execution, network-based education and training, network scalability, and distributed animation of 2D/3D graphics presentations. · Web-based approaches for technology, software tools, content production and broad usage provide best business cases from an enterprise-wide (i.e. worldwide) perspective
1.3 Current Shortcomings A number of severe gating problems are evident in the current generation of defense-related modeling and simulation systems. Hundreds of active legacy applications have limited commonality, mixed levels of support and stove-piped interoperability. Despite the best efforts of numerous programs, the difficulties inherent in current M&s strategies have thwarted the deployment of tactically useful systems into the hands of warfighters. Interoperable software, networking and message semantics are needed at all levels of activity This need for scalable interoperability is growing faster than ever before, as nearly all operations become coordinated joint/coalition efforts, and diverse new agencies for homeland defense and become critical partn Current common shortcomings include Few current applications successfully leverage commercial software imperatives. Interoperable reuse is essential for feasibility, life-cycle supportability, fundability and product flexibility Modeling and simulation is not a significant day-to-day asset for U.S. operating forces A spectrum of operational goals needs to be met: direct warfighting, homeland defense and coalition peacekeeping operations. Tactical needs are broad, immediate and interrelated, thus approaches must be scalable and take a global scope Technical limitations are evident in current software. New capabilities are needed that work correctly in small scale but can also grow/aggregate into much larger scales Current DoD software strategies do not leverage commercial-sector investments in interoperable web technology; so planned improvements perpetuate this disconnected state of affairs Distance-learning technologies-e g audio/video/whiteboard/documents/Advanced Distributed Learning(ADL)Sharable Content Object Reference Model(SCORM)etc -are not compatibly augmenting or utilizing available simulation technology Clearly many strong motivations exist for significant progress and transformational change 1.4 Report status Much of the material in this report was presented as an advance whitepaper for the XmsF Technical Challenges Workshop held 19-20 August 2002, in conjunction with the annual NPS MOVES Open House. The initial version provided a detailed backdrop for participants to produce point papers detailing their conclusions, concerns and recommendations over an impressively wide range of experience in three focus areas Web technologies and XML · Internet/networking Modeling and Simulation(M&s) controversy, and highlight any critical actions needed to move these concepts forward Or Each group of experts worked to reach consensus on areas of agreement, identify areas XMSF Workshop Symposium Report, October 2002
XMSF Workshop & Symposium Report, October 2002 page 8 1.3 Current Shortcomings A number of severe gating problems are evident in the current generation of defense-related modeling and simulation systems. Hundreds of active legacy applications have limited commonality, mixed levels of support and stove-piped interoperability. Despite the best efforts of numerous programs, the difficulties inherent in current M&S strategies have thwarted the deployment of tactically useful systems into the hands of warfighters. Interoperable software, networking and message semantics are needed at all levels of activity. This need for scalable interoperability is growing faster than ever before, as nearly all operations become coordinated joint/coalition efforts, and diverse new agencies for homeland defense and peacekeeping operations become critical partners. Current common shortcomings include: · Few current applications successfully leverage commercial software imperatives. Interoperable reuse is essential for feasibility, life-cycle supportability, fundability and product flexibility. · Modeling and simulation is not a significant day-to-day asset for U.S. operating forces. · A spectrum of operational goals needs to be met: direct warfighting, homeland defense and coalition peacekeeping operations. Tactical needs are broad, immediate and interrelated, thus approaches must be scalable and take a global scope. · Technical limitations are evident in current software. New capabilities are needed that work correctly in small scale but can also grow/aggregate into much larger scales. · Current DoD software strategies do not leverage commercial-sector investments in interoperable web technology; so planned improvements perpetuate this disconnected state of affairs. · Distance-learning technologies - e.g. audio/video/whiteboard/documents/Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL)/Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM)/etc. - are not compatibly augmenting or utilizing available simulation technology. Clearly many strong motivations exist for significant progress and transformational change. 1.4 Report Status Much of the material in this report was presented as an advance whitepaper for the XMSF Technical Challenges Workshop held 19–20 August 2002, in conjunction with the annual NPS MOVES Open House. The initial version provided a detailed backdrop for participants to produce point papers detailing their conclusions, concerns and recommendations over an impressively wide range of experience in three focus areas: · Web technologies and XML · Internet/networking · Modeling and Simulation (M&S) Each group of experts worked to reach consensus on areas of agreement, identify areas of controversy, and highlight any critical actions needed to move these concepts forward
The initial version of the XMSF whitepaper was updated to include Workshop results. Specifical each topic-area section gained"triage "findings on each complex subject: areas of consensus agreement, areas of controversy, and recommended issues for future work. The Strategic Considerations section was expanded, to address issues identified by all the subgroups which were later agreed upon in plenary sessions The resulting intermediate version of the whitepaper was then used as the basis for reporting Workshop results at the XMSF Strategic Opportunities Symposium, held 6 September 2002 George Mason University(GMU)in Fairfax Virginia. The Symposium agenda is included as Appendix d in this document. Symposium presentations and attendee comments were broadly favorable to the concepts put forward at the Xmsf Workshop, and have been integrated to produce this final version of the report considered consensus of the project investigators. The XMSF website further includes ove s the This completed report documents the integrated results of these two major efforts, and reflect 40 detailed contributions to the XMSF Workshop and XMSF Symposium which provide essential amplifying material. Appendices C and d list all of the participating experts We thank our colleagues for their invaluable contributions and sage insight. We also thank staff members and participating doctoral students at NPS and GMU for superlative support. Finally we wish to express our particular appreciation for technical feedback and advice from Dr. Sue Numrich and Ms Phil Zimmerman of the Defense Modeling and Simulation Office(DMSO) XMSF Workshop Symposium Report, October 2002
XMSF Workshop & Symposium Report, October 2002 page 9 The initial version of the XMSF whitepaper was updated to include Workshop results. Specifically each topic-area section gained “triage” findings on each complex subject: areas of consensus agreement, areas of controversy, and recommended issues for future work. The Strategic Considerations section was expanded, to address issues identified by all the subgroups which were later agreed upon in plenary sessions. The resulting intermediate version of the whitepaper was then used as the basis for reporting Workshop results at the XMSF Strategic Opportunities Symposium, held 6 September 2002 at George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax Virginia. The Symposium agenda is included as Appendix D in this document. Symposium presentations and attendee comments were broadly favorable to the concepts put forward at the XMSF Workshop, and have been integrated to produce this final version of the report. This completed report documents the integrated results of these two major efforts, and reflects the considered consensus of the project investigators. The XMSF website further includes over 40 detailed contributions to the XMSF Workshop and XMSF Symposium which provide essential amplifying material. Appendices C and D list all of the participating experts. We thank our colleagues for their invaluable contributions and sage insight. We also thank staff members and participating doctoral students at NPS and GMU for superlative support. Finally we wish to express our particular appreciation for technical feedback and advice from Dr. Sue Numrich and Ms. Phil Zimmerman of the Defense Modeling and Simulation Office (DMSO)
2 XMSF Postulates, Preconditions for Success, Challenges and Definition 2.1 Postulates XMSF has several high-level requirements for success, derived from years of experience with M&s frameworks and the challenges of their effective deployment across diverse networks and systems XMSF must enable simulations to interact directly and scalably over a highly distributed network chieved through compatibility between a web framework and networking technologies. XMSF must be equally usable by human and software agents. XMSF must support composable, reusable model components. XMSF use cannot be constrained by proprietary technology, restrictive licenses or legally encumbering patents which might discourage the free, open, ad hoc development of interconnected tactical models and simulations For these and other reasons, the Extensible Markup Language(XMl)is the technology of choice for the syntax and representation of root data structures. Similarly, Semantic Web efforts regarding Resource Description Framework(RDF)and ontology tagsets provide corresponding support for semantics. XML also enables equivalent model representations to be described, validated and even autogenerated in a variety of human and programming languages. Thus XML, along with the large family of XML languages for web use, provides a rich and already well-developed set of technologies suitable as an available basis to begin achieving XMSF goal 2.2 Preconditions for Success While working to identify, elaborate and correlate the many required technologies involved in modeling and simulation using web-based technologies, the investigators found that three technical areas can effectively group together a wide variety of related technologies. These three key areas of endeavor are Web technologies and XML Internet and networking Modeling and Simulation(M&s) Tremendous overlaps occur for each area, but workshop participants agreed that this is an effective portioning of both technical topics and human talent. These three topic areas provide the primary reporting structure for technical material in this report Looking ahead, workshop representatives agreed that three such groups will be an effective way to divide diverse challenges across groups of committed participants. Participants and investigators felt strongly that representative leaders and workers from industry, academia and government must work together as coordinated teams for each of the three major technical areas: Web/XML, organization of collaborative efforts just as much as effect use of new technology. These three a Internet/networking, and Modeling Simulation. The biggest challenges likely require effecti groups and the forthcoming XMSF community will need Effective human interfaces among all three areas: Web/XML, Internet/Networking, M&s Avoid"throw it over the wall" from one group to another, rather work on joint strategies Solutions that are end-to-end likely driven by cornerstone exemplar demonstrations XMSF Workshop Symposium Report, October 2002 page 10
XMSF Workshop & Symposium Report, October 2002 page 10 2 XMSF Postulates, Preconditions for Success, Challenges and Definition 2.1 Postulates XMSF has several high-level requirements for success, derived from years of experience with M&S frameworks and the challenges of their effective deployment across diverse networks and systems. XMSF must enable simulations to interact directly and scalably over a highly distributed network, achieved through compatibility between a web framework and networking technologies. XMSF must be equally usable by human and software agents. XMSF must support composable, reusable model components. XMSF use cannot be constrained by proprietary technology, restrictive licenses or legally encumbering patents which might discourage the free, open, ad hoc development of interconnected tactical models and simulations. For these and other reasons, the Extensible Markup Language (XML) is the technology of choice for the syntax and representation of root data structures. Similarly, Semantic Web efforts regarding Resource Description Framework (RDF) and ontology tagsets provide corresponding support for semantics. XML also enables equivalent model representations to be described, validated and even autogenerated in a variety of human and programming languages. Thus XML, along with the large family of XML languages for web use, provides a rich and already well-developed set of technologies suitable as an available basis to begin achieving XMSF goals. 2.2 Preconditions for Success While working to identify, elaborate and correlate the many required technologies involved in modeling and simulation using web-based technologies, the investigators found that three technical areas can effectively group together a wide variety of related technologies. These three key areas of endeavor are: · Web technologies and XML · Internet and networking · Modeling and Simulation (M&S) Tremendous overlaps occur for each area, but workshop participants agreed that this is an effective portioning of both technical topics and human talent. These three topic areas provide the primary reporting structure for technical material in this report. Looking ahead, workshop representatives agreed that three such groups will be an effective way to divide diverse challenges across groups of committed participants. Participants and investigators felt strongly that representative leaders and workers from industry, academia and government must work together as coordinated teams for each of the three major technical areas: Web/XML, Internet/networking, and Modeling & Simulation. The biggest challenges likely require effective organization of collaborative efforts just as much as effect use of new technology. These three groups and the forthcoming XMSF community will need: · Effective human interfaces among all three areas: Web/XML, Internet/Networking, M&S · Avoid “throw it over the wall” from one group to another, rather work on joint strategies · Solutions that are end-to-end, likely driven by cornerstone exemplar demonstrations
Key Challenges for XMSF Many issues and goals have been identified. Top-level XMSF challenges include Utilize web-based technologies for more powerful and cost-effective government-wide etworking, serving, client-side rendering and user interaction Provide open, affordable, extensible modeling and simulation capabilities for tactical scenarios of direct use to participants engaged in conflict and peace operations Employ mainstream practices of enterprise-wide software Improve ease of use for developers and users, fueling rapid growth of interoperable simulations Provide support for all types and domains of M&S: constructive, analytical, live, virtual playback-driven, agent-based, human-in-the-loop, heterogeneously distributed, logistical, and others Models of interest reflect reality. Both simulations and tactical exercises are the behavior of models over time. Models and simulations need to match tactical requirements for rehearsal reality and replay to meet operational needs Each key challenge will help guide emerging technical and programmatic strategies for XMSF 2. 4 XMSF Definition The Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework(XMSF) is defined as a composable set of standards, profiles and recommended practices for web-based modeling simulation(M&s) XML-based markup languages, Internet technologies and Web Services will enable a new generation of distributed M&s applications to emerge, develop and interoperate An important finding from the workshop and subsequent investigations was that current work in Web Services appears to be an appropriate basis for organizing and composing the many necessary apabilities of Web/XML and Internet/Networking needed for M&s applications Details for each focus area-Web/XML, Internet/Networking and M&s- are presented in the next three report sections XMSF Workshop Symposium Report, October 2002
XMSF Workshop & Symposium Report, October 2002 page 11 2.3 Key Challenges for XMSF Many issues and goals have been identified. Top-level XMSF challenges include: · Utilize web-based technologies for more powerful and cost-effective government-wide networking, serving, client-side rendering and user interaction. · Provide open, affordable, extensible modeling and simulation capabilities for tactical scenarios of direct use to participants engaged in conflict and peace operations. · Employ mainstream practices of enterprise-wide software development. · Improve ease of use for developers and users, fueling rapid growth of interoperable simulations. · Provide support for all types and domains of M&S: constructive, analytical, live, virtual, playback-driven, agent-based, human-in-the-loop, heterogeneously distributed, logistical, and others. · Models of interest reflect reality. Both simulations and tactical exercises are the behavior of models over time. Models and simulations need to match tactical requirements for rehearsal, reality and replay to meet operational needs. Each key challenge will help guide emerging technical and programmatic strategies for XMSF. 2.4 XMSF Definition The Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework (XMSF) is defined as a composable set of standards, profiles and recommended practices for web-based modeling & simulation (M&S). XML-based markup languages, Internet technologies and Web Services will enable a new generation of distributed M&S applications to emerge, develop and interoperate. An important finding from the workshop and subsequent investigations was that current work in Web Services appears to be an appropriate basis for organizing and composing the many necessary capabilities of Web/XML and Internet/Networking needed for M&S applications. Details for each focus area – Web/XML, Internet/Networking and M&S – are presented in the next three report sections